Marquee nightclub cancels plan to relaunch as Hush731

Located under Union restaurant, downtown Minneapolis nightclub Marquee is undergoing a rebranding and remodeling effort only 18 months after opening its doors. As of Tuesday, the club was set to be redubbed Hush731.

But the new branding drew heat on social media over its similarity to HUSH, a group of businesses and dance events headed by local techno artist Zak Khutoretsky, better known as internationally renowned DJ DVS1. For now, in a twist you don't see too often, the underground seems to have won this round.

Khutoretsky/DVS1

A bottle service destination with a house and EDM flavor, Marquee shares a name with the popular Las Vegas super club, leading some to believe the new rebrand was forced. Despite the local club's recent popularity, it is set to reestablish its look and expand its space while holding on to a crowd increasingly hungry for beats and bass. The intended name change to Hush731 highlighted both a title and business comparison to Khutoretsky's brand, which has been in use for dance events that date from 1996 all the way up to this year.

"They're a nightclub promoting house and techno music, which is what I've done for years," states Khutoretsky. "Using the same name doesn't make sense in a city the size of ours."

Tuesday's announcement also came with a new teaser website and images, some of which also have a resemblance to art that Khutoretsky's used for HUSH.

"Branding and imagery has been a huge part of [Hush] since the beginning," Khutoretsky says. "It's a simple look, but the image has been just as important as the name."

Hush731's teaser website with countdown clock

Now, a day after the official announcement and the resulting Facebook backlash from HUSH fans, it seems underground kingpin Khutoretsky and restauranteur titan Talebi have reached an agreement, with Talebi making the decision to change the name of the club at the last minute.

Khutoretsky's recent HUSH promo material

It's a bold move from Talebi, working on a new name even as Facebook states that a grand reopening is scheduled for Saturday, April 5. An official statement from Kaskaid Hospitality Management (Marquee's parent company) reads:

"It
has come to our attention since announcing the Marquee name change that
the name "Hush" has been in use by Minneapolis DJ and producer DVS1 for
several years. Given what we now know, we will be changing the name of
the club to something different than Hush. We've been in touch with
DVS1, and have offered our apologies for accidentally overlapping with
the name of his production company. ...We
apologize to the community for our oversight in using the name Hush,
and look forward to continuing our role as a leader in Minneapolis music
community."

Though several local DJs spoke up on social media to say that they warned Talebi about possible infringement from the beginning, for Khutoretsky, all is well that ends well. He says that he's "thankful to everyone who spoke up, and thankful to Kam for his decision."

It's a small victory for Khutoretsky and fans, but it could be part of a larger trend of local patrons spurring action from the businesses they frequent. On the Twin Cities club landscape, it seems that respecting the locals is a big part of staying relevant.